Apparatus for plant culture



April 22, 1930. c. F. IRISH APPARATUS FOR PLANT CULTURE Filed NOV. 28, 1927 I 4 r a Patented Apr. 22, 1930'-v lGHAB'IJES F. IRISH, 0F BRATENAHI, O HIO APPARATUS FOB PLANT CULTURE Application mea november as, 132'?.4 serial No. 236,125.

This invention relates to a means for aiding or facilitating the .growth of trees and plants. v

It is well known that the growth of a tree or plant is not only dependent upon the character of the soil but at times upon conditions either external or internal to which the'soil may be subjected.

It is also well known that the soil surrounding trees and plants contains chemical com-` pounds essential to the life andgroWt-h of ally -bacteria and pints and thatl there are also present certain toxic matters which are injurious to the growth of plants and trees inf asmuch as `they prevent or retard the proper action of the bacteria which are benecial -in transforming these chemical compounds so that they are available as food for the trees and plan-ts.

only to supply the plant life ving or propagating ingredie'nts to the soil ut also to modify or eliminate the toxic conditions thereof.

In the maintenance of tree life, and particularly in transplanted trees care and always has been, exercised in giving to the roots the proper plant food and under the best possible conditions, happens that either due to surroundingsoil conditions or for 'some other reason, the transplantedtree does not thrive and if its life is continued at all there is a very slow`.process in' resuming its growth.

The object of my invention therefore is to provide a means for encouraging this growth, and while I have found the invention particulai-ly useful in connection withtransplated trees, I have also found the 'same equally serviceable for improving the growth of trees The object of my invention therefore is not must be,

but it frequently and plants which have not been transplanted. the invention consists specification, Fig. 1 The invention also contemplates the ,intrg duction of this compressed air for the purpose of providing'a certain amount of pulsatlon or breathing action of the soil adjacent the n roots whereby not only a definite quantity of air is forced intothe earth but the earth 1s 55 subjected t-o a pulsating or throbbing actlon which tends to' open up cracks or ssures, loosening the earth to the desiredextent and whereby a maximum amount of the compressed air may be injected into the earth for a considerable area and which air, 1n escaping, forces out the toxic gases which are generated by root and bacterial activities 1n the soil. The invention also contemplates injectin into the earth,v simultaneously with 5 the injection of the compressed air, a denite quantity of fertilizer or soil rectifier for the tree or plant. v

The invention also contemplates using thel openings or orifices for the purpose of ve n 70 tilating the earth and also supplying condults through which moisture may readlly pass to the earth surrounding the roots.

'By the use of this compressed air I havefound that certain toxic conditions of the soil' 75 are immediately cured or modified.l I have also found that the compressed air injected. into the earth below lthe surface thereof, in considerable quantities, either supplies the necessary food for the trees or. transforms the o soil in such a manner that the plant foodlcan more readily be taken up by the trees and toxic conditions corrected. Y While I have referred to my inventlon as being used in connection with-the' growth of trees, it will be understood that the broad principle of theinvention is applicableto the stimulation of all plant lifel having well defined root conditions, and which are sufficiently extensive to permit the introduction of a considerable volumeof compressed air either among or around the same. j

While I have shown only one form of apparatus for carrying outmy invention, it Awill of course be understood that the broad `idea maybe carried out by variously formed appa.; l ratus.

In the drawings Aforming a art'of the is a v1ew s owing one mode nf utilizmg my methed F ig. 2 iS V61" Vtical sectional view of one form of apparatus usable in connection'with my method or process, and Figs. 3 and 4 show details .of construction.

` Referring to the drawings, A .indicates a tree and B the roots thereof. C is the soil completely surrounding the roots of the tree. For the purpose of injecting compressedair into the soil I employ an air gun D which receives its compressed air through avpipe E connected with any suitable source of compression or. compressed air supply. In case it is desired tov apply fertilizer as well as compressed air, I provide a tank F containing any desired quantityuof fertilizer or plant food orsoil `rectifier which tank is connected with the .air gun by means of a passage G through which a definite quantity of com'- pressed air can be forced into the tank and 20 another passage H through which the fertilizer is forced through the gun and carried along with the compressed air into the earth.

A valve or slide I is arranged within the tank adjacent the passage H and normally ggg-closing said passage. This slide I has a rod K connected thereto which in turn is connected to a lever L actuated vby a cam which causes the slide to open when the valve N controlling the air. supply is turned to 'a certain position. The-valve N is provided with a suitable handle and by turning the handle in lone position the compressed airl willi be cut ofi' entirely from the gun and tank. .By turning the same to the position indicated at 1, the compressed air will be supplied to the gun alone and by turning the same to the position shown at 2, the compressed air will be supplied to both the tank and gun and at the same time the slide'valve will be actuated 4o.-and consequently the compressed air will be supplied to the gun and likewise a definite guantity of fertilizer Will be carried Lalong rom .the tank to the gun intothe orifice.

Incarr ing out' the process a hole or. passagewa is first made by means of a crowbar, .ro or any other suitable tool, this opening orhole being projected a considerable distance linto the earth at thepoint desired. The air gun is then inserted into this opening air is forced intothe earth, and in addition to this I have found that a certain enlarge-v ment of the o enin usually takes placefat the discharge en of t e gun and then by alternately cutting the supply of air off and on, particularly after .this enlargement'has taken place'around the discharge end of the gun, certain well-defined ulsations or upheavals are 'produced with .t e result of opening up v the earth lconsiderably beneath vthe surface thereoffand whereby an increased quantityv of Vvcompressed'air'V can 'be injected into the earth through the various cracks or crevices pro- 'this air not only facilitates the rowth of the andthe compressed air turned on with the result that a certain amount of compressed.

duced beneath the surface during these pui-l -sations or upheavals. By making the desired I number of openings around the tree among y the roots or adjacent thereto and shooting in definite quantities of air under pressure I have found thatthe growth of .the tree is materially aided and this is particularly true of large trees transplanted as usual with a considerable quantity of roots.

I .have also found that the introduction of l tree but accelerates the availa ility of the plant food and likewise modifies or eliminates certain toxic conditions of the soil so that the bacteria can produce the necessary steps towards changing soil minerals into availablev plant food. This rectification of toxic soil conditions I have frequently remedied by treating the earth adjacent trees of long standing and my invention isalso particularly adapted for the treatment of soils overcharged with moisture or soils completely deprived of moisture due to the fact that the tree is entirel surrounded bypavement.

After the air gun has been withdrawn the holes or passages can be filled with any suit able coarse material ,through which air can continue to pass down into the vcrevices created in the soil and also gases contained'withinthe soil can escape through these openings or passageways which to this extent/may be termed Ventilating passages. These openings or passages, thus filled with coarse material,

also help in the distribution of rain or water to the lower roots during the summer months and this is particularly useful when the surrounding surface would prevent such penetration.

By the use `of my invention it will be seen that'the entire root area can be thoroughly aerated, oxygeniz'ed, drained and fertilized m5 without disturbing the surface covering.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

` v A device for the pur ose set forth comprissignature.

i CHARLES F. IRISH.-

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